approximate hour

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "approximate hour" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a time that is not exact but is close enough for practical purposes. Example: "The meeting will start at approximately 3 PM."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Melatonin promotes sleep and alerts a variety of biological processes to the approximate hour of the day.

The New York Times - Health

Specify the day and date of your visit, as well as the approximate hour at which you were there.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Experiments were conducted on young adults; anatomical markers such as gonad morphology or approximate hours after L4 to adult molt were used to determine the young adult stage of the animal.

Plosone

Respondents were asked whether they 'regularly helped' grandchildren (including children considered to be like grandchildren) and approximate hours per week spent helping (none; less than 2; 2–4 or 4 or more).

Aging and Mental Health

The Greek suicide data contained all suicides from January 1992 to December 2001, and were provided by the National Statistical Service of Greece, with daily data on solar radiance obtained from the National Observatory of Athens and then converted into approximate hours of sunlight using the Angstrom formula.

BMJ Open

For each HMR predicting intentions, the TPB variables were entered at Step 1; group norm and perceived risk at Step 2; and sociodemographic variables of age, number of children, medical background (yes/no), employment status (full time/not full time), education (university educated/not university educated), and approximate hours spent using the Internet per week at Step 3.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Calculate how many people you will need to hire and how many approximate hours each one will work.

WikiHow

Train delegated administrators - approximate 1 hour in-person training required for all DRAOs.

University of California, Berkeley

The electro analyzer was kept approximate one hour to get stabilized.

Chemistry Central Journal

Spectra were acquired with a 1 msec recycle delay and a time domain of 16 k, with 1000 scans (giving an approximate 1 hour analysis time).

Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture

Thirty-six communities were housed in the laboratory at 22°C on an approximate 12 hour day/night cycle in clear rectangular plastic microcosms (20 cm×10 cmaximum, maximum volume 1.5 L) with 500 ml (low stress), 250 ml (medium stress), or 100 ml (high stress) of water.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "approximate hour", ensure the context makes it clear why an exact time cannot be provided. For instance, use it when scheduling something without a precise start time or describing events with flexible durations.

Common error

Avoid using "approximate hour" when a more precise time can be given. Overusing approximations can make your communication seem vague or unreliable. If you know it will be close to 3PM, saying "around 3PM" is preferable.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "approximate hour" functions as a noun phrase, where "approximate" modifies the noun "hour". It specifies a time that is not exact but is close to a particular hour. Ludwig's analysis, confirms that this is an acceptable way of specifying time.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "approximate hour" is a grammatically correct phrase used to indicate an estimated time. While Ludwig AI identifies its frequency as rare, it appears across different contexts, including news, wiki, and science. When precision isn't possible, this phrase is useful, ensure it aligns with the context and level of formality of writing. Alternatives such as "around an hour" or "estimated time" can be used based on the desired tone and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

around an hour

Indicates a time close to a specific hour, allowing for slight variations.

estimated time

Focuses on providing an estimation of time, similar to giving an "approximate hour".

rough estimate of time

Indicates a less precise estimate, emphasizing the lack of exactness in the time given.

ballpark hour

Suggests an informal and imprecise estimation of an hour.

vicinity of an hour

Emphasizes that the time is near or around a specific hour, without being exact.

in the neighborhood of an hour

Suggests that the time is near, but not exactly one hour.

general timeframe of an hour

Highlights the broader period within which something is expected to occur.

something like an hour

Offers a less formal way of approximating a time duration.

give or take an hour

Acknowledges potential variations in time, allowing for an hour more or less.

plus or minus an hour

Explicitly states the degree of uncertainty, indicating a range around a specific hour.

FAQs

How can I use "approximate hour" in a sentence?

You can use "approximate hour" to indicate an estimated time, such as, "The meeting will be held at the "approximate hour" of 3 PM."

What is a more formal way to say "approximate hour"?

In formal contexts, consider using "estimated time" or "anticipated time" instead of ""approximate hour"".

What can I say instead of "approximate hour" to sound more casual?

For a more casual tone, try using phrases like "around an hour" or "something like an hour" instead of ""approximate hour"".

Is it better to provide a range or use "approximate hour" when the time is uncertain?

Providing a range, such as "between 2 PM and 3 PM", is generally more informative than simply stating ""approximate hour"", especially if the possible times are spread out.